College of
excellence, 150 years agoNawab Jassa Singh
Ahluwalia Government College in Kapurthala was the first institution of
higher education in the region. Bikram Singh
Virk says the college, with a number
of firsts to its credit, stands uncared for todayIT
is a matter of honour and pride for Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
Government College in Kapurthala to enter the 150th year of its
establishment. It was set up as a Sanskrit vidyalya and named
Randhir School in 1856 by ruler of Kapurthala, Maharaja Randhir Singh.
In the same year, universities also came up in Calcutta, Madras and
Bombay.

A pillar of hopePunam Khaira SidhuIT’S
difficult to accept that one is suffering from a terminal disease," she
says as the wind blows in from the Shivaliks through her garden, lifting the
hair off her pale face. The pallor of her face is discouraging, but there’s
an aura of calm about her. Her eyes are the windows to her soul — the soul of
the steel-willed ‘Lady of Hope’.

Nawab Jassa Singh
Ahluwalia Government College in Kapurthala was the first institution of
higher education in the region. Bikram Singh
Virk says the college, with a number
of firsts to its credit, stands uncared for today

The college is now a pale shadow of its rich past. (Above) The
Jubilee Hall constructed in 1916; (Below) the administrative block

The college’s football team of 1924 with members of the staff

IT
is a matter of honour and pride for Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
Government College in Kapurthala to enter the 150th year of its
establishment. It was set up as a Sanskrit vidyalya and named
Randhir School in 1856 by ruler of Kapurthala, Maharaja Randhir Singh.
In the same year, universities also came up in Calcutta, Madras and
Bombay.

Students in Randhir School
used to sit under a peepal tree, and were taught in the traditional guru-shishya
parampara. This 200-year-old peepal still adorns the college
premises. By 1871, four languages, namely Urdu, Persian, Sanskrit and
English, were taught in the school, which had classes up to
matriculation. Till 1882, when Punjab University was set up in Lahore,
the institution remained affiliated to Calcutta University. Being the
only institution of higher learning in the region, students from other
princely states also studied here.

Maharaja’s
initiative

When the next ruler,
Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, was a minor, the control of the state was in
the hands of English administrators. The institution made rapid strides
under the guidance of three European principals. On assuming active
control in 1890, Maharaja Jagatjit Singh took keen interest in the
education system of the state and raised the classes up to the
intermediate level in 1896. Natural sciences were added to the
curriculum of the college during this period. Since the Maharaja was
fond of French, in 1916 Randhir College became the only institution to
teach this language in the region.

To accommodate the rising
number of students, a U-shaped building consisting of classrooms was
constructed in 1912 around the peepal tree. This building is known as
the U-Block and classes are held in it even today.

In 1916, the Maharaja laid
the foundation of Jubilee Hall in commemoration of the golden jubilee
celebrations of his coronation. This magnificent building, with traces
of French architecture, served as an examination hall, conference hall
and a reading room. In 1930, the college library was also housed in this
mammoth building and remained there for a long time.

According to the Punjab
University’s calendar of 1918-19, as many as 27 institutions of higher
learning were affiliated to it by that time, with Randhir College
standing as the oldest educational institution in the region apart from
Edward’s College in Peshawar, which was established as a school in
1855. The famous Government College and Foreman Christian College in
Lahore were established as schools in 1864 and 1866, respectively.

Reputed
staff

In 1905, the college was
reorganised on the lines suggested by Lord Curzon’s Commission and
Manohar Lal was appointed Principal-cum-DPI of all educational
institutions of the state. Manohar Lal was succeeded by H.Y.Langhorne in
1910. It was during his tenure that the number of students increased
significantly in educational institutions across the state.

The high priority given to
education by state rulers is evident from the fact that the salary paid
to the principal and teachers was much higher than other functionaries
of the state. Langhorne was getting a monthly salary of Rs 400 plus a
special allowance of Rs 100, whereas the professors were paid Rs 275 per
month. In comparison, the salaries drawn by Sessions Judge, Magistrate,
A.G., S.P. and CMO were Rs 425, Rs 325, Rs 275 and Rs 250, respectively.
Only Chief Judge was getting Rs 550 per month.

Lala Mathura Dass, who
became principal of the college in 1914, was a remarkable scholar. A
school in the city was named after him — it still runs as MDSD Senior
Secondary School. The other prominent teachers of the time included Lala
Tej Ram, S. Arbel Singh, (later principal of the college), Jagmohan Lal,
Mohamad Ali and Pandit Shri Ram.

Centre of
learning

Randhir College was the
only institution of higher learning in the area which had a large number
of students from other states. A serai was erected for their
accommodation and later a large boys’ hostel was constructed in 1920.
The education was free for student of the Oriental Sectionand
even their lodging and boarding expenses were borne by the Dharam-Arth
Department of the state. The poor but otherwise meritorious students
were given a stipend of Rs 4 to Rs 10 per month by Kumar Amarjit Singh,
son of Maharaja Jagatjit Singh.

The strength of the
students of the institution rose from 110 in 1912 to 272 in 1925. By
1916, the college taught eight languages, including Arabic, Hindi and
Gurmukhi. A majority of the students preferred English, Persian and
Urdu. About half of the students were Muslims as about 60 per cent of
the population of the state consisted of Muslim population prior to
Partition of the country. In 1935, evening classes were started in
photography, shorthand and typewriting.

A fair
chance

Co-education was started
in 1943, with only 12 girls joining the college at that time. However,
their number grew to 21 in 1945-46. There used to be a thin partition in
the centre of the classroom, separating the girl students from boys. But
Maharaja Jagatjit Singh was committed to the cause of education for
women and opened exclusive schools for girls in other towns of the
state.

The college also excelled
in the field of sports and their football, hockey, cricket and tennis
teams participated in various university tournaments. A trophy in
cricket and football was started in 1909. Boxing, baseball and
basketball were introduced in the college in 1931. It became a nursery
of basketball players later and produced a number of well-known players.

Degree classes in arts and
science were started in 1946 and the college became a post-graduate
institution in 1976 when it began M.A. English classes. At present, the
college offers postgraduation in three subjects, English, economics and
commerce. Three new courses, PGDCA, B.Sc. computer science and B.Sc.
economics, have been introduced this year.

Annual
durbar

An annual education
durbar, presided over by Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, was held every year in
February or March on the college campus. The annual report of the
college was read by Principal-cum-DPI of the state. The results and
performance of the other educational institutions in the state were also
presented on the occasion. A gold medal, worth Rs100 was awarded by the
Maharaja to the student who stood first in F.A. exam in the college and
a silver medal was given to the topper in the Oriental Section.

Eminent
alumni

Randhir College has
produced some important personalities. They include the late Swaran
Singh, former Foreign Minister; Ghulam Mohammed, former Governor of
Pakistan; Balwant Singh, former Finance Minister of Punjab; Gulzar Singh
and Jagtar Singh Multani, both former ministers of Punjab; Kirpal Singh
Dhillon, former MLA.

Famous basketball players
like Sajjan Singh Cheema, Parminder Singh Bhandal, both recipients of
Arjuna Award, and Mubark Ali of Pakistan were products of this college.
To the literary world, it has lent poets like Sohan Singh Meesha and
Surjit Pattar, and German poet laureate Rajwinder Singh. Film actor
Pran, Promod Moutho and many other artistes are proud products of the
college.

Picture of
neglect

This institution with a
glorious past, today, is in a state of neglect. The college hostel has
been demolished and was acquired by PUDA in 2000 with the promise of a
new building. The promise, however, remains unfulfilled. The college
needs an academic block, which hasn’t transcended beyond the stage of
the foundation, which was laid in 2004. It is time the authorities
restored its past glory.

IT’S
difficult to accept that one is suffering from a terminal disease," she
says as the wind blows in from the Shivaliks through her garden, lifting the
hair off her pale face. The pallor of her face is discouraging, but there’s
an aura of calm about her. Her eyes are the windows to her soul — the soul of
the steel-willed ‘Lady of Hope’.

How does one handle life that is
slowly ebbing away? How does one come to terms with the end of life?

The woman sitting before me and
speaking so matter of factly has done this and more. Since 1997, Neelu Tuli has
been the public face and founding Director of the Sahayta Cancer Sahyog, a
non-profit organisation, working for the aid, assistance and rehabilitation of
cancer patients.

Neelu’s first acquaintance with
cancer was when her sister was diagnosed with the disease. Her involvement
deepened as she supported her sister through her treatment and the aftercare.
It was then that she realised the lack of awareness about cancer and the
significance of support groups. That was the beginning of Sahayta. Today nine
years on, Sahayta volunteers are a reassuring presence for cancer survivors and
patients in Chandigarh.

"Cheer up, you will be
fine," everyone says with a genuine feeling to cancer patients but the
latter are aware that this is a hollow assurance. What they really need is
silence and someone who can listen to them. And that is why support groups like
Sahayta are such an important presence in palliative and end-of-life care.
There’s a wonderful bond between survivors and support group workers. Just
being able to share with someone the agony and pain of chemotherapy, losing one’s
crowning glory and finding tips on getting the right wigs, wonderdrugs,
mastectomy bras, walkers and braces can be tremendously soothing.

Supports groups strive to make
survivors determined not to lose today worrying about tomorrow. As one survivor
puts it in Sahayta’s July newsletter, "Life is a mystery to be lived,
not a problem to be solved".

Survivors get together to
celebrate each precious month of life at a monthly luncheon meeting.
Interacting with these bright, gifted, talented and courageous ladies,
gentlemen and children is a lesson for lesser mortals: each one’s story is an
awe-inspiring lesson in coping with adversity.

From many a forum, Neelu had
articulated, "There is life after cancer and it is meaningful." Even
as she worked tirelessly to promote greater awareness and early detection of
the disease which, she believes, is the key to survival, the diagnosis in her
own case was however too late. The cancer had already metastasised. She’s
gone through several phases, fluctuating from hope to resignation and finally
the acceptance of God’s will.

Chemotherapy, which she could
barely endure; ‘talking’, yes talking to her drugs to cure her as Anup
Kumar writes in his book The Joy of Cancer; ayurveda;and even a
faith healer — she’s tried it all, egged on by family and friends. But she
is calm now when she says, "I have seen so many go, but also so many fight
and survive."

Neelu has now refused further
chemotherapy. "Let it be used for those who have a chance," she says.
She is grateful that doctors treated her with love —a treatment stronger than
medication. Even today, prayers of survivors, patients, friends and family are
buoying her through each day of pain.

She talks of areas which have yet
to be visited such as rights of cancer patients, health insurance, disability
benefits, and jobs for the afflicted. Sahayta has many milestones to its
credit. Neelu has also been a founder member of Cancer Care India and a member
of International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organisation (ICCCPO).

International Childhood Cancer
Day is held on February 15 by Sahayta. It lays special focus on the Advanced
Paediatric Centre and pediatric oncology in the PGI. Paintings and toys dot the
children’s ward. The kids themselves demand "empathy not sympathy".
Sahayta’s stalls and collection cases are ubiquitous in retail outlets and
schools throughout Chandigarh. A Sahayta card or stationary means medicine and
comfort for a cancer patient. This goes a long way in fulfilling Sahayta’s
mission that no one should go untreated for want of funds.

Neelu is thankful for her family’s
loving support, which has helped her determined fight against cancer. Each day
after a painful night, she awakens with a fresh resolve to get through her list
of things to do for Sahayta. "That’s the way I’d like to go", she
says, "…working for Sahayta."

Here’s hoping that all our
prayers will give her strength to go on and on.